"By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done."

-Genesis 2:2-3

This passage is one of those that I've read many, many times in my life, but it wasn't until recently that it gained new meaning for me. I grew up reading and hearing about the creation story and I learned very quickly that God rested on the seventh day, but I never really thought about what that means. The Creator of the Universe took an entire day to just rest. God, who is all-powerful and never needs to sleep and never lets a single tiny detail escape His notice, took the time to rest for a whole day. He didn't rest because He was tired or worn out or had done too much work; He's God and doesn't need to rest no matter how much work He does. God rested to set an example for us.

Humans really struggle to obey God's commands. God didn't create the concept of the Sabbath and the call to rest because He was bored and wanted to add a seventh day to the week. God wants us to take time to rest because we can't be our best when we're running on empty. We need rest. It's not something that's optional or a good idea in certain circumstances. If we don't take the time to pause and recharge, we'll eventually crash and burn. If we don't get rest, we'll fall apart, but for some reason, taking the time to rest is often one of the hardest things for us to do.

I definitely struggle to get the rest I need on a regular basis. I always feel like resting is a waste of time especially when I have a to-do list that's several miles long. This summer has really highlighted how I never slow down and allow myself to recharge. I've been feeling so behind when it comes to getting ready for my trip and a bit overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done before I leave. The past few days I've found myself trying to push through my exhaustion and feeling guilty when I accidently take a nap. I was getting very angry with myself for not being as productive as I could be, when God reminded me that rest is just as important as work. 

Rest doesn't always look the same in every situation. Sometimes it quite literally means getting some extra sleep. Sometimes it means spending more time with God or taking time for yourself to do something you enjoy. Sometimes it means going outside and soaking in nature or playing music. Rest can look very different depending on the person or the season of life, but it always involves being still (Psalm 46:10). This week, I want to intentionally make time to rest and I hope you do the same.